By Paul Acquaro

Listening to The Selva makes me really feel like I’m in on a secret, their music is
a clandestine whisper in my ears, and I wish to pay attention with headphones. The
message strikes slowly, it oozes, it delivers in little hits, like dopamine, its
takes over, and I acquiesce obligingly.

Camarão-Girafa, the Portuguese trio’s fourth album, delivers the identical
addictive substance as their others, evolving, altering, holding it thrilling, whereas extra
than assembly expectations. The group is cellist Ricardo Jacinto, bassist
Gonçalo Almeida and drummer Nuno Morão, rising names on this planet of free
improvisation, all originating from the fertile music scene of Lisbon. The
three are stressed musicians and sound experimenters learning, dwelling and
working with different musicians through-out Europe, and artfully channel their cumulative
experiences into this insidiously highly effective music.

The album begins the album with the legato, rubato, and affected person ‘Lei Milão.’ Dissonant harmonies rise and fall away, percussive parts adorn the slowly unfolding piece. Then comes the electronics, the second observe, ‘Dança Babuíno,’ blends the acoustic devices with liquid electronics in a rhythmic jigsaw puzzle, which lastly collects to a pulsating trance. The observe ‘Abel João’ is intense from the beginning, a dense wall of sliding tones and swirling traces overtakes the senses.

The almost ten minute ‘Cocoruto’ begins with a nervous percussive rattle,
energizing and enervating for over a 3rd of the observe earlier than ultimately
colliding with different electronically enhanced percussion and the strings. The
observe turns into a large sound sculpture, lugubriously flowing over the
soundscape.

On the ultimate observe, the trio once more employs their affected person, evolutionary
method. Over six minutes of rising depth, ‘Blue Camino,’ relying much less
on electronics than sheer forceful acoustics, brings Camarão-Girafa to
a satisfying shut.

All through the recording, the gradual constructing of those musical monuments is
charming and invitations repeat listens. For me, whether or not or not I’m I reality in
on a secret hardly issues, that is addictive and transformative music.